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Objective and Scope
The vision of COMFOR is to develop an innovative knowledge transfer concept for SMEs in forest operations. This will enable the adoption of ergonomically effective work practices and mitigate the problems of poor occupational health and economic performance. COMFOR will create added value through a more competitive and sustainable forestry workforce in Europe.

The objective of COMFOR is to transform science into practice by researching and developing means and measures which will enable encourage SMEs to adopt ergonomically sound working practices. COMFOR will train the national Forestry Contracting Associations in these methods of knowledge transfer, thus mobilising the results of the research to a wide body of forestry contractors in Europe.

 COMFOR Project Description

    COMFOR partners are located in three European regions

    - North-Central Europe
    - West-Central Europe
    - East-Central Europe
    REGIONS

Key Issues
The change from direct employees to entrepreneurs/contractors working in forest operations, time and production pressures and poor financial returns are having a major effect on Small and Medium size Enterprises (SMEs) working in forest operations throughout Europe. As a result, the economic pressure on entrepreneurs and occupational health problems in forestry work are increasing. Current ergonomic research provides answers for healthier working practices which also improve performance. However, putting science into practice is difficult for these businesses who face practical and financial barriers to change their way of working and are not in a position to undertake research and development themselves.

The spread of mechanised harvesting systems throughout Europe has brought problems of occupational health to the micro-businesses and SMEs which undertake these forest operations. Research and development has demonstrated the link between ergonomically sound working practices and improved health, leading eventually to improved economic performance. However, due to a range of financial, social and cultural pressures these businesses have shown a reluctance to adopt ergonomically efficient methods of working. Despite regional differences in economy and culture, forest operations businesses broadly face the same constraints all over Europe.

This pan-European problem of poor occupational health and economic performance with forest operations businesses calls for a collective solution. The COMFOR team provides an excellent vehicle to solve this problem of knowledge transfer, and will add value by being delivered at the European level. The project has been designed to maximise the impact of the results on forestry SMEs transforming research into practical application. Three university-based RTDs with proven track records in ergonomics & economics, learning/knowledge transfer, and the implications of regional/structural change will undertake the basic research. These are complemented by six field research organisations which ensure the results of this research are fit for purpose in their practical application to forest operations businesses. Ten core SMEs will provide research demands, test and pilot the solutions and disseminate the results. ENFE representing national forestry contracting Associations and QfF in Germany, a social partnership, - will disseminate and train the national Entrepreneur Associations in the use of the knowledge transfer packages, thus mobilising the results of the research to a wide body of businesses.

Technical approach
COMFOR has gathered a consortium of ten forest entrepreneurs (SMEs), assisted by their National Entrepreneur Associations, three university and six applied Research, Training and Development Organisations (RTDs) from across North, West Central and East Central. The consortium, directed by the core SMEs will undertake a 3 year pan-European project of integrated work science research linked to the most effective ways of transferring knowledge to forestry operations SMEs. This will include new research into the impact of structural change across the European wood supply chain, the economic benefits of ergonomic investment and the learning patterns of SMEs. The main output will be an innovative knowledge transfer package for the improvement of health and performance, customised for SMEs operating in three European regions.

Core SMEs will trial the knowledge transfer package and the results will be disseminated widely to the forestry industry and other stakeholders. National Contractors Associations will be trained in the knowledge transfer best practice, thus building capacity across Europe.

Timing
The project has a planned duration of 3 years. It has started in June 2006, with completion end May 2009.

Work Package 1: SME research demands

Objectives

To provide the mechanisms to enable the core SMEs and Micro businesses in forest operations to specify their research demands in the three regional study areas of north, west central and east central Europe.

In each of the three study regions:

WP1.1 - Deliver a structured study by the RTD performers with the major wood supply chain Stakeholders to establish the current stage of development and frame conditions for the workforce in forest operations.

WP1.2 – Implement case studies with the 10 Core SMEs to establish their research demands from the use of a structured survey, interview and benchmarking.

WP1.3 -Collate regional information and analyse case study findings to produce SME research demands and specify parameters for research demand input to WP2 work plans for RTDs.

Work Package 2: Research

Objectives

In this work package we assess the current development of economic and ergonomic best practice of forestry SMEs. The thhree Universities contibute with their scientific knowledge on costs of safety and health realted issues, pedagogics and strucutal changes in the different countries to better understanding on how tools for contractors shall be shaped at its best to meet contractors demands

How and what will be done in WP 2?

Work in WP 2 is split into three sub work packages:

In WP 2.1, the tools on cost and benefit will be analysed and customized with secial focus on

  • the impact of business economic perspectives on improved machine ergonomics (buy new, rebuild and how, maintenance, training in work postures and techniques)
  • the impact of business economic perspectives on work organisation (task allocation: single tasks, work rotation, work enlargement), delegation of responsibility, training and consultancies (e.g. medical, communication)
  • the role of ergonomics in relation to other business development activities and needs (business techniques, IT, computing, environmental considerations)
  • Synthesising the above parameters provides an outline for the economic framework for work environment improvement/investments.

Work in WP 2.2 will review and analyse the current pedagogic knowledge, understanding and practices in the field of occupational safety and health education, competence development and lifelong learning in the forestry operations SME sector, to form the basis to improve ergonomically efficient work practices and competences. The analysis will be carried out to:

  • describe the current state of the arts in the understanding of learning and teaching processes with regard to forestry operations SMEs and their competence development and occupational safety and health performance
  • investigate synergies in similar sectors, eg. agricultural contractors
  • identify the factors that appear to shape pedagogic understandings and assumptions within and across the sector
  • define ways how do ‘proximal forces’ e.g. learning cultures and regulatory frameworks, affect pedagogic approaches and practices
  • define the main gaps and challenges in current knowledge and understandings of effective teaching and learning practice in forestry SMEs

WP 2.3 will form the theoretical model about the impact of structural change in different stages of economic and technical development on the health and performance of SMEs in forestry operations.

  • Analyse and interpret the findings (country reports) achieved in WP 1.1 with special focus on the impact of the frame conditions on actual work practices and the impact of structural changes
  • form the results into a comparative study in order to identify the main mutual problem areas and regional differences in structural change parameters, and to describe the factors that support or prevent improvement of work performance and occupational safety and health
  • Prognosis of technical and economic development based on trend extrapolation and expert consultation (qualitative interviews with 10 Core SMEs
  • Elaborate a model about how structural change imposes constraints on forestry SMEs to improve performance and occupational safety and health, based on recent research findings (see B. 4 state of the arts) and conclusions of own analyses


Background Documents:

Folke Bohlin and Oscar Hultåker (2008): Executive Summary. Cost and Benefit - WP2.1

Brogt, T., Lewark, S. and Kastenholz, E. (2007): Learning Cultures in Small Enterprises in Forest Operations. 3rd Forest Engineering Conference. October 1-4, 2007 in Mont Tremblant, Quebec (Canada). Session 9 - Who will log in the future? Paper.

Brogt, T., Lewark, S. and Kastenholz, E. (2007): Learning Cultures in Small Enterprises in Forest Operations. 3rd Forest Engineering Conference. October 1-4, 2007 in Mont Tremblant, Quebec (Canada). Session 9 - Who will log in the future? Power Point Presentation.

Folke Bohlin* and Oscar Hultåker (2007): Controlling the costs of work related illness in forestry. – What can the contractor do?

Work Package 3: Knowledge transfer

Objective

In this work package we are going to develop tools specially designed for contractor firms. The tools shall support small firms in their improvement of the working conditions and thereby their profitability.

How?

The work will be carried out in five steps:

  1. In the first step we will identify how contractor firms learn. This will be based on findings from the case studies in WP1 and the research results in WP2.
  1. Based on this knowledge we will customise some already established tools to fully fit the needs of the small contractor firms. If found necessary (from the case studies in WP1) we will develop further tools.
    Examples of tools are:
    • WORX
    • Ergonomic Checklist
    • Costs due to illness and benefits of preventive measures

  1. The special designed tools will then be piloted (tested) in all participating countries.
  1. Based on the results from the field tests the tools will be refined and improved.
  1. The tools will be passed over to WP5 for training activities, but also widely disseminated in all possible channels to all possible interested and involved partners outside the COMFOR group.

When?

The work in WP3 will start in project month 13 and continue until the project ends.

Project description also available in:   

Background Documents:

Assessment of education and training demands in Forest Enterprises, ENQuaFor Working Paper, 2005

Training Demands - ENQuaFor Working Paper

Work Package 4: Training Activities

Objectives

Co-ordinate the work in WPs 4.1 and 4.2 for training national IAGs, SME managers and other significant multipliers to make them able to cascade COMFOR results to wide body of SMEs and micro businesses in the participant countries in the three regional study areas of north, west central and east central Europe.

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